Child-resistant locking container

ABSTRACT

A container with an outer tin (10) and an inner tin (30), and a lid (60), where the inner tin (30) slides up and down within the outer tin (10), and the inner tin (30)s is secured within the outer tin (10) by protrusions and indentions that do not restrict the inner tin (30)&#39;s ability to slide up and down within the outer tin (10), and further including a lid (60) capable of being locked by moving the inner tin (30) down inside the outer tin (10) to a bottom position and capable of being unlocked by releasing the lid (60) from the inner tin (30) by pushing the inner tin (30) up from the bottom position and sliding the lid (60) to an open position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/057,570 filed Jul. 28, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Storage of precious and valuable materials require containers of all types and sizes. Known in the art are a range of metal tins to ensure safe storage of just about anything. However, lacking in the prior art is a container which is easily manufactured, meeting ASTM child-resistant standards, which is also capable of securely storing contents without compromising the contents inside of them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The disclosure herein teaches construction of a container with an inner tin (30), an outer tin (10), and a lid (60), designed with a unique locking feature created by the inner tin (30) sliding into the outer tin (10). When it is in the closed position, the lid (60) cannot be removed.

Those skilled in the art will note that, while referred to as “tins”, these containers can be manufactured from a variety of workable materials. Additionally, where tolerances allow, they may additionally have a coating, making them appropriate for consumable goods and/or non-solid contents.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate how the locking mechanism taught herein may be utilized in containers of a various sizes, shapes, and uses.

The foregoing and other objectives, features, and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the closed outer tin (10).

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the closed outer tin (10).

FIG. 2 is a top view of the closed outer tin (10).

FIG. 3 is side view of the inner tin (30).

FIG. 5 is a side cross section view of the inner tin (30) and outer tin (10).

FIG. 6 is a side cross section view of the inner tin (30), outer tin (10), and lid (60) in stacked configuration.

FIG. 7 is a close up of a side cross section view of the inner tin lip (70).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Consumers of a variety of products need a secure way to transfer and store products, without risk of children accessing them or unwanted contaminants entering them. The disclosure herein teaches construction of a container with an inner tin (30), an outer tin (10), and a lid (60), designed with a unique locking feature created by the inner tin (30) sliding into the outer tin (10). When it is in the closed position, the lid (60) cannot be removed.

The container is a child resistant, ASTM certified container made of tin material. It is compliant with the Code of Federal Regulations Title 16, Part 1700.20 for Poison Prevention Packaging. It is also compliant with the International Organization for Standardization 8317:15 for Child-Resistant Packaging and Adult Suitability.

The container consists of 3 separate working parts: the outer tin (10), the inner tin (30), and the lid (60). The inner tin (30), when installed, slides up and down inside of the outer tin (10). A combination of indentations and bumps on both the inner tin (30) and the outer tin (10) secures the inner tin (30) inside of the outer tin (10). The inner tin (30) bumps both hold the tin in place and allow it to slide up and down smoothly inside of the outer tin (10).

The inner tin (30) can only be completely removed from the outer tin (10) with the use of force.

The lid (60) snaps into place on the inner tin (30) and seals the inner container, locking it into place with a plastic seal. When the lid (60) is installed and the inner tin (30) is pushed down inside of the outer tin (10) in the closed position, it is locked. To unlock and release the lid (60) from the inner tin (30), the user must push the inner tin (30) up from the bottom, sliding it to the open position. Once the inner tin (30) is in the open position, the lid (60) can be released.

For user convenience, there may be embossed fingerprint on the bottom of the inner tin (30) to guide users to push up from the bottom.

The lid (60) is designed to hold the contents of the container once removed from the inner tin (30). The top of the lid (60) has a large indentation with sloped sides, creating a secure space to place the contents of the container without rolling or sliding off.

The unique locking feature of the container is created by sliding the inner tin (30) into the outer tin (10). When it is in the closed position, the lid (60) is locked in place. When the inner tin (30) is pushed up from the bottom, sliding it into the open position, the lid (60) can be released.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the closed outer tin (10) with indentations which hold the inner tin (30) in place. FIG. 3 is side view of the inner tin (30) with a cross-section line shown.

FIG. 4 shows a bottom view of the closed configuration of the inner tin (30) inside the outer tin (10). FIG. 2 shows a top view of the closed outer tin (10), showing the sloped sides and recessed floor which permits the top to be used as a separate, open holder.

FIG. 5 shows a side cross section view of the inner tin (30) and outer tin (10), showing the close hold of the inner tin (30) inside the outer tin (10). FIG. 6 shows a side cross section view of the inner tin (30), outer tin (10), and lid (60) in stacked configuration.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims to be submitted in an eventual non-provisional application. 

1. A container including an outer tin (10) and an inner tin (30), and a lid (60), where the inner tin (30) is capable of sliding up and down within the outer tin (10), and a plurality of indentations and protrusions on both the inner tin (30) and the outer tin (10) secures the inner tin (30) within the outer tin (10) without restricting the inner tin (30)'s ability to slide up and down within the outer tin (10), and further including a lid (60), where the lid (60) capable of being locked by moving the inner tin (30) down inside the outer tin (10) to a bottom position and the lid (60) is capable of being unlocked by releasing the lid (60) from the inner tin (30) by pushing the inner tin (30) up from the bottom position and sliding the lid (60) to an open position. 